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SFMA Staff

The South Florida Manufacturers Association (SFMA) is run by a group of dedicated staff members. Learn more about SFMA staff or contact one of them below.

Matthew R. Rocco

President

As President of the SFMA, Matthew’s experience spans more than 10 years in the corporate arena and higher education. He has served in various leadership positions, managed complex projects and programs, worked with employers to create customized workforce programs for their companies, and created partnership opportunities in the business community. He brings an excellent mix of expertise and a passion for helping manufacturers to his new role. Prior to taking over as SFMA President, Matthew was a Board of Director for 3 years and worked at Broward College. Matthew is excited for this new chapter and will work hard on behalf of all manufacturers in the South Florida area.

Kaitlin Centonze

Member Services/Finance Manager

Kaitlin Centonze joined the SFMA team in 2014 as the Manager of Member Services. Currently she also works with SFMA partner, FloridaMakes. In 2008, Kaitlin graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in Accounting which she makes use of in her work at SFMA and FloridaMakes. As a hobby Kaitlin enjoys baking and decorating gourmet cupcakes.

Phil Centonze

Training Director

Phil brings extensive experience working with manufacturers across industries. He plans and manages improvement projects of all types. Since 1991, he has trained teams of managers and employees to reduce costs and improve productivity by applying the concepts of Lean process improvement, Six Sigma, Strategic Planning, Team-Based problem-solving, and other improvement initiatives. Phil has broad knowledge of assessment of manufacturing companies, as he is the Lead Judge for the Manufacturer of the Year Award Evaluation Programs for the SFMA. He is a 16-year Florida Sterling Master Examiner and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Phil is a graduate from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

Jay Hess

Business Advisor

Jay is a FloridaMakes Business Advisor based at the South Florida Manufacturers Association. He has more than 29 years of manufacturing experience, most recently as Executive Vice President of Operations with UNIPOWER LLC. Jay has served on the board of directors for the South Florida Manufacturers Association and currently serves as a board member for PointOne Investment Holdings. He is certified by APICS in inventory and production control and is registered and recognized as an expert witness for litigation relating to manufacturing material practices, UCC, and product liability. Jay has a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and completed his master’s studies in electrical and mechanical engineering.

Dennis Battistella

Coordinator – South Florida Machinist Apprenticeship Program

Dennis Battistella has spent his entire career in manufacturing. At the SFMA, he wears two hats: One is Coordinator of the Machinist Apprenticeship Program and the other is Trainer and Consultant. About 8 years ago, Dennis began working with a group of member companies to develop a certified machinist apprenticeship program in south Florida. Partnering with Atlantic Technical College, the program became certified by the State of Florida. As an SFMA Trainer and Consultant, Dennis helps members design and implement training plans within the SFMA Training Institute. In his spare time, he teaches Operations Management at FAU.

Sandra Blake

Communications Manager

Sandra Blake’s entire career has been focused in manufacturing. She was Vice President of Human Resources with FHP Manufacturing (Bosch) for more than 2 decades. During her time at FHP, Sandra served the SFMA for more than 20 years in the capacities of Chair of the Human Resources Committee, Board of Director, and Chair of the Board. Since leaving FHP, Sandra opened her own business – Blakes Design Biz – designing websites for a myriad of organizations and businesses, including some SFMA members. Since 2012, Sandra has worked with the SFMA as webmaster and communications and database manager.